Tag-fastener.



F. G. SHUMAN.

TAG FASTENER. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 15', 1912;

1,077,169. Patented 001;. 28, 1913.

Inventor Attorneys Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE. rams e. sat-sis, or annuals.

ras-rasrama To all whom it may-concern: Be it known that I, FRANK SHU 'AN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county'of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Tag-Fastener, of which .the following is a specification.

barb, the prong and the barb-carrying element being located in a straight line defin-- ing the base of a triangle, whereby the mater1al may ride readily into one angle of the fastener, beyond the barb, so that when the direction of movement is reversed, the article will be engaged by the barb and the barbholding element, without swinging the fastener laterally, and without causing the fastener to travel in an oval or circular orbit, during the threading operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of inven- -tion herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 shows the invention inperspective, assembled with the tag; Fig. 2 is-a top plan; Fig. 3 is a side elevation; and Fig. 4 is an-end elevation.

The tag fastener herein disclosed is fashioned from a single piece of material bent to formatriangular head 1. The secondary end 2 of the strip is overlapped upon and alined with the primary end 3 of the strip to define a straight base 4 for the head and to define a tag-holding angle 5 at one end of the base 4 and to define an article-holding angle 6 at the other end of the base 4. The secondary end 2 of the strip terminates in a barb 7 which projects laterally beyond the base 4. The primary end 3 is extended beyond the article-engaging angle 6 to define a straight prong 8 which preferably is pointed as shown at 9. The base 4 presents a straight and unobstructed area between Spe ification of teatime.

Application filled April 15, fielfifliliimfiaflfifi.

Patented .Oct'. 28., 1913.

the barb 7 and the tag-holding angle 5 in which the tag 1G is engaged.

In practical operation, the material is threaded upon the prong 8 and rides along base 4 beyond the barb 7 when right line movement one direction is imparted to :the fastener. The material, during this movement, is free to ride into the tag-holding angle 5, thus permitting the material to pass beyond the barb 7. Owing to the fact that the base 4 is straight between the barb 7 and the angle 5, a relatively large amount of the material may be engaged by the prong 8 to secure the fastener. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the movement necessary to cause the material to travel along the prong 8 and to enter the angle 5 is a right line movement, it being unnecessary to swing the fastener laterally, during' the threading operation, as would be the case, if an angle were present in the part 4 between the barb 7 and the angle 5. When the fastener is slid in a straight line in an opposite direction, the material will ride along the base 4 and be engaged by thelaterallv projecting barb 7, the barb 7 directing the material upon the secondary end 2 of the fastener.

It is to be noted that the material is, threaded upon the fastener and is engaged with the "base 4 and with the secondary end 2 by a right line movement first in one direction and then in an opposite direction, the material riding freely along the base 4 toward the angle 5, because the base 4 is straight from end to end, there being no.

angle in the base 4 between the barb 7 and the angle 5. Because the threading movement is a right line movement'from its inception to'its completion, the fastener need not be swung laterally, and consequently there is no transverse displacement of the parts 2 and 8 with respect to each other. Since the parts 2, 4 and 8 remain alined after the fastener is threaded through the article, there is a straight pull upon the fastener from the angle 5, along the parts 2 and 4, to the angle 6. Consequently, no matter how strong be the pull which is excrted upon the tag 10, the parts 4, 2 and 8 will remain in alinement, a bending of the fastener into staple shape, and. a consequent withdrawal of the fastener from the article being thereby avoided.

The advantage incident to the foregoing construction will be more clearly understood when it is recalled that the device herein disclosed is adapted to be used primarily for attaching tags to carcasses of meat, in which the prong 8, the end 2 and a portion of the base a are embedded. it has been pointed out that the parts 4:, 2 and 8 remain alined when embedded in the artiele, and owing to the diverging relation of the sides 11 of the triangular head, a truss is formed which greatly strengthens the holder against accidental displacement.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is A tag fastener fashioned from a single piece of material bent to form a triangular head, the secondary end of the strip being overlapped upon and alined with the primary end of the strip to define a straight base for the triangle and to define a tagholdings, angle at one end of the base and to define an.article-h0lding angle at the other end of the base, the secondary end ter inraiee n'iinating' in a barb projecting laterally beyond the base, and the primary end being extended beyond the article-holding angle to form an entering prong; the base presenting a straight and unobstructed area between thebarb and the tag-holding angle, whereby upon a right line movement in 0pposite directions, the material may ride unobstructedly along the prong into the tagholding angle, and thence back upon the barb and upon the secondary end; the alined relations of the ends affording a straight pull between the angles, and preventing transverse shifting of the ends with respect to each other.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK G. SHUMAN.

"Witnesses:

Gr. R. COCKLEY, G. BARNES. 

